


Poly week fics:2020

by Shortbread_Otaku



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Amusement Parks, Angst, Animal Crossing References, CW:Eating disorders, Cats are vicious, Compersion, Cuddling & Snuggling, Engagement, F/F, F/M, Family, Fluff, Halloween, He's just a fairy, Hurt/Comfort, I swear Ferdinand isn't doing drugs, I swear it's not all BE just happens to be 3 in a row, Insults, M/M, Magic, Multi, Non-binary Lysithea, Pets, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Protectiveness, Racism, Rich white people, Vampires, Wedding Rings, Werewolves, Witches, will rip you up then ask for pets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:56:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27305935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shortbread_Otaku/pseuds/Shortbread_Otaku
Summary: This is a collection of seven fics I wrote for poly week.Day 1: ParanormalDay 2: Sleeping arrangementsDay 3: SurprisesDay 4: CompersionDay 5: FamilyDay 6: PetsDay 7: Rings
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Ingrid Brandl Galatea, Annette Fantine Dominic/Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Mercedes von Martritz, Annette Fantine Dominic/Mercedes von Martritz, Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Linhardt von Hevring, Caspar von Bergliez/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert, Caspar von Bergliez/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Linhardt von Hevring, Caspar von Bergliez/Linhardt von Hevring, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Hilda Valentine Goneril, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Marianne von Edmund, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Marianne von Edmund/Hilda Valentine Goneril/Claude von Riegan, Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg, Dorothea Arnault/Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra/Edelgard von Hresvelg, Dorothea Arnault/Hubert von Vestra, Edelgard von Hresvelg/Hubert von Vestra, Ferdinand von Aegir/Dorothea Arnault, Ferdinand von Aegir/Edelgard von Hresvelg, Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra, Hilda Valentine Goneril/Claude von Riegan, Hilda Valentine Goneril/Lysithea von Ordelia, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Mercedes von Martritz, Marianne von Edmund/Claude von Riegan, Marianne von Edmund/Hilda Valentine Goneril, Marianne von Edmund/Hilda Valentine Goneril/Lysithea von Ordelia, Marianne von Edmund/Lysithea von Ordelia
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36
Collections: FE3H Polyship Week





	1. Day 1: Paranormal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every October creatures from Halloween folklore come to life. What goes on in a house of vampires, witches, werewolves and the like?

During October, myths came to life, vampires, werewolves, witches and the like. But do not fear, they are people too. Vampires don't mean to cause harm; all they want is to blend in with the populace. Werewolves won't hurt you; they're just scared. If you know a werewolf, be sure to give them heating pads, food and water, as they get very sore after transforming. Witches will celebrate and bless you if you supply them with moon water. Do not fear these creatures, as all they want is to be like you, 

Dorothea sang along with her playlist as she whipped up scrambled eggs for everyone. With a wave of the hand, the dirty plates cleaned themselves as Dorothea served her loves as they came in.

"Love, this is fantastic." Edelgard praised Dorothea; she quickly went back for more to the amusement of her girlfriend.

"Thank you, Edie, I made them with love."

"You didn't have to do this," Hubert said as he carefully lifted his eggs.

"I know."

"You are a truly amazing person," Ferdinand commented.

Did Dorothea make breakfast to receive all these compliments? Yes. Did Dorothea do this because she loves and cherishes her partners? Yes. There could be multiple sides to her. 

"What do you have planned for today?" Ferdinand asked Dorothea.

"Edie and I are going shopping to see if we can find something calming for her tonight. Then we'll catch lunch at a cafe nearby." 

"I would offer my assistance in the search only," Hubert grimaced." Today, I need to take blood."

"We'll catch up with you at lunch," Ferdinand said.

Dorothea told the kitchen to clean itself, so she went to get ready for the day. 

"See you later." Dorothea and Edelgard were to head to a magic shop that only opens one month a year. 

"Do you have any idea what might calm you during your transformation?" 

Edelgard thought back to last year when she woke up a human again, her clothes were in scraps, and her loves were wrapped around her. "Eh... maybe." Edelgard picked up a candle she had no interest in. Peach Bellini, strange. 

Dorothea picked up on the embarrassment in her girlfriend's voice and used it. "Edie, do you have something to tell me?" 

Edelgard fidgeted with her hands." I think being around everyone helped." 

"Ah, the power of love wins again!" Dorothea picked up a bundle of sage and examined the tag. "Do you remember what happened last time?" 

Edelgard tried to recall the events of last year, but her memories were fuzzy. "No, everything is fuzzy."

"We tied your hands and feet, together-per your request- and left you alone." Dorothea picks up some incense sticks and studies them. "After a while your growls became whines; Hubert insisted I leave you be, but I just couldn't! I put gloves on your claws and went to pet you. "Dorothea turns her attention to Edelgard. "I expected my hand to be bitten off, but the opposite happened. You, purred? Is that the right word? Anyway, after ten minutes or so, Hubert came in to check I wasn't dead and found us cuddling." Dorothea smiled at the memory. "He was as surprised as I was to see you calm. He was afraid your animal instincts would win out, and you would attack."

Edelgard frowned at that, she understood Hubert's concerns, but it still hurt that he didn't trust her animal form. "What happened next?"

"Ferdinand came in next to see what was happening. They both refused to leave us alone, so, I told them to join the cuddle pile. They did, and you became," Dorothea searched for the right word, "yourself. You tried pulling us closer, but with no hands, it was quite the sight." she giggled.

Dorothea paid for a packet of incense sticks, and they left the shop. 

"It was funny?"

"Very. You pulled me up by my hair, using your teeth!" Seeing Edelgard's concerned face, Dorothea quickly eased her worries. "You didn't hurt me, I actually quite enjoyed it." Edelgard batted Dorothea on the arm. "You did the same to Ferdinand but left Hubert alone!" Dorothea smiled at the small laugh she got out of Edelgard. "Ferdinand gave Hubert long hair, and he was accepted into the pile. But the next morning is the funniest bit; you were back in your human form and very much naked. Ferdinand and I woke up on your chest- best way to wake up in my opinion." Dorothea winked, causing Edelgard to flush.

"Hubert woke up on your thigh! Oh, you should have seen his expression; it was priceless." Dorothea opened the door to the cafe. "He jumped off of you and rolled onto the floor! Ferdinand and I still tease him about it to this day."

"Oh, wow." Edelgard chuckled as she found a table. "I missed a lot. It explains why Hubert was so skittish that morning."

Dorothea placed their drinks on the table. "Looking forward to tonight now. Maybe I'll get to see Hubert as a wannabe rockstar again. Long hair does not suit him."

The door chime rung, Dorothea turned to see if Ferdinand and Hubert had arrived yet, but it was Monica. Edelgard tensed in her seat; she hoped Monica hadn't spotted her.

"Hey werewolf," oh no, not this again. "we don't like your kind in here."

Dorothea bristled. "Shut up, Monica." 

Monica opened her mouth to deliver a scathing remark. Still, it died as Hubert walked through the door which sent Monica scurrying to her seat.

"What did that wench want?" Hubert glared at Monica's table.

"Nothing unusual." Edelgard decided to change the topic. "How are you feeling Ferdie?"

"Okay," Ferdinand gave a tired smile." A little tired. That energising powder helps take the sting away."

"Unfortunately, this has to occur," Hubert's eyes shined with sadness. "Thank you for doing it for me."

Ferdinand placed his hand over Hubert's much smaller hand. "I'm happy to do it. It actually feels quite nice when it's happening."

"You know Ferdie," Dorothea began. "I could take your place next time." she winked.

"It's quite alright; it's an easy thing to manage."

Lunch arrived shortly, as was the norm at this cafe.

Dorothea checked her watch; it was nearing one in the afternoon. "I have to practise with Lysithea soon."

"That reminds me," Hubert said." I have a book to return to her." 

"I have a long day ahead of me," Ferdinand pushed his plate to the side. "I need to help Lorenz; apparently, he fell in love with a human, and his parents are disgraced by it."

"Really?" Dorothea leaned forward in her chair. 

"Fairy families are too traditional." Hubert argued." So what if they're a human, fairies only get their powers one month a year."

"Try telling that to my father," Ferdinand said. "He's so stuck in his ways."

The entire table groaned. They have all had a run-in with Aegir family, at one time or another.

"I plan to have a quiet day of reading," Edelgard swirled her drink with a stirrer.

"As you should." Dorothea's watch beeped, it was time to meet with Lysithea. "Ferdie, could you do my hair for me?" Ferdinand ran his fingers through Dorothea's hair, turning it short as it could be.

"Thanks, babes, see you later."

Dorothea met Lysithea in an abandoned estate, explicitly reserved for witches to train. As always, Dorothea greeted Lysithea with as they called it "useless flair," she lit up the sky with fireworks which turned into sparkles and draped Dorothea in light. Lysithea rolled their eyes at the witch's antics,

"Hey Lys, ready to get started?"

"You know it."

Lysithea sent a blast of flames at Dorothea. Dorothea swiftly constructed a barrier of vines to stop the fire. Dorothea sharpened her water magic and shot ice at Lysithea who ducked out of the way. Lysithea jumped farther away; they were better at long-distance magic than Dorothea was. Dorothea summoned a vine to catapult her towards Lysithea, in the air, fire sprang from Dorothea's fingers and struck the smaller witch. Dorothea conjured up a pile of flowers, to provide a soft landing. Lysithea struggled to get up, as Dorothea thought the battle was done ice shards came for her. Dorothea summoned an ice cage at the last second to protect her. Lysithea gave up struggling and tried to catch her breath.

The battle left Dorothea exhausted, she swept the hair out of her sweaty face and gulped down her water. Something nagged at Dorothea's mind, something that annoyed her the longer she ignored it. Why didn't Lysithea put up more of a fight? Lysithea always acted like a sore loser or winner; now, she was quiet.

"Lys, you okay today? You seem distracted."

"I didn't get much sleep last night," they said. "Monica called Marianne a beast, so Hilda and I spent the night consoling her." 

"Ugh," Dorothea groaned. "When will Monica get a life? She's like that towards Edelgard too."

"Speak of the devil."

"Oh, it's you, dorks. " Monica smiled smugly. "What, finally decided to ditch your doggy friends?"

Dorothea clenched her fits and gritted her teeth. Now was not the time for a snarky battle. Dorothea would win if she remained calm and pleasant.

"Come on, Lys, we're done anyway." Dorothea helped Lysithea up and turned her back on Monica. That is until Monica decided she needed to wish the two witches goodbye.

"Tell your dogs at home to stay away from me."

Monica wanted a reaction from her. The best course of action is to ignore her. Did Dorothea do that? No, not at all.

Dorothea whipped around and stared Monica in the eye. "Monica let's settle this, I challenge you to a witches' duel."

"You're on." Monica sneered.

Dorothea walked into her home and started complaining straight away. "Monica is such wench; she insults everyone she sees! Who does she think she is, ugh, I can't wait to put her in her place. Oh yeah, I challenged her to a duel."

"You what?" Edelgard said. "While it's sweet, you care this much; you had to do it tonight of all nights?"

"What-" Oh, Dorothea was meant to be with Edelgard while she transformed tonight. "Oh, Edie, I'm so sorry." 

"It's fine." Edelgard put her book down. "If Hubert is there, he can run me home, so I don't hurt anyone."

"Wait, you're coming tonight?"

"Of course. My amazing girlfriend is beating up a demon. Wouldn't miss that for the world."

Edelgard was the best girlfriend in the universe. There was no way Dorothea was going to lose this duel.

To prepare for the duel, Dorothea clipped her fringe back to avoid distraction, changed into shoes she could run in and call upon her powers by relaxing with tea. By six that night, Dorothea was ready to crush a demon. 

Despite the duel being spontaneous and issued three hours ago, the stadium was packed with people. Edelgard, Hubert and Ferdinand wished Dorothea luck as they took front row seats. Dorothea stared at the sky anxiously; it was nearly a full moon, would Edelgard be okay?

The announcer pulled out a microphone and spoke into it. "Greetings animated beings! We have an extraordinary event for tonight; a witches' duel!" Between Dorothea Arnault and Monica Ochs!"

The crowd cheered for blood and action.

"You're going down," Monica growled.

Monica got the first blow in with a ball of dark magic. Dorothea was knocked back against the wall but managed to get up. Dorothea cast a wall of fire to give her time to catch her breath. Monica would play dirty; there was no way Dorothea could win without stooping to her level unless Dorothea used her wits instead of her brawn.

Dorothea collapsed the wall of flames and charged straight for Monica; she could see the sly smirk as Monica readied a blast of dark magic. At the last second, Dorothea swung to the left. She hit Monica with an explosion of wind magic, hurling her across the stadium. Monica threw fire at Dorothea who deflected it with water. Monica laughed manically, that can't be a good sign. Monica raised creatures from the ground made of dirt and sticks; she sent them to attack. They lumbered forward as weights weighed them down. Okay, Dorothea could do this, this was not the time for a panic attack. First, get rid of Monica. Dorothea summoned ice spikes and pinned Monica to the wall, then she blinded the zombie-like creatures with light and kicked them down. The crowd cheered, the duel was won. By the looks of the moon, not a moment too soon.

Dorothea strolled towards the exit, basking in the cheers, then an unsettling noise broke through, a demonic growl. Black magic hit Dorothea squarely in the back; it sent her tumbling to the ground.

"Dorothea!" That was Edelgard's scream. Edelgard pounded at the magical barrier that prevented the crowd from interfering. The moon was nearly full, Dorothea could see hair creep up Edelgard's arms. She had to end this now.

Dorothea slowly got up, narrowly avoiding a second blast of black magic to her body. Dorothea had to end this, now. Dorothea alleviated herself with wind magic and let the flames consume her. Dorothea called upon the power of the moon and enveloped Monica in the fire. Monica would be fine; demons couldn't die by fire. As Dorothea was declared the winner, the barrier was lifted. Dorothea dashed out of the stadium and towards Edelgard.

This was not good. Any second now Edelgard would transform into a werewolf and who knows what would happen then. They needed to get home fast. "Oh, no. Hubert do your Naruto run!"

"Every time," Hubert cursed under his breath as he scooped up Edelgard and sped out of sight.

"Hubert's not strong enough to handle Edelgard by himself," Dorothea bit her lip. How would they catch up in time?

"I think I have a solution." Ferdinand rummaged through his bag and pulled out a bag of blue powder. "This will enhance your speed for up to two minutes." Ferdinand hesitated. "It may turn you blue as a side effect." Ferdinand sprinkled the powder over Dorothea and himself.

Dorothea felt invigorated; she never felt this energetic; she felt like they stood a chance. Dorothea sprinted to her house alongside Ferdinand. 

Hubert and Edelgard were already inside, maybe things would be okay? Maybe there was nothing to worry about.

Dorothea ran up the stairs and saw Hubert struggling to bat Edelgard's paws away. She was entirely transformed. Dorothea wrapped vines around Edelgard's paws to keep her from clawing Hubert's face off. "Hubert, Ferdinand I'm sorry. If I didn't engage with that stupid demon, this wouldn't be so stressful," 

"Thea, don't worry. You put Monica in her rightful place. We're proud of you." Ferdinand patted Dorothea's shoulder. 

"It's where she belongs," Hubert added.

Dorothea swore she saw Edelgard nod, but that would be crazy. Right? 

Ferdinand coated the room in Edelgard's favourite scents to help her relax; vanilla, lavender, bergamot. Seeing Edelgard calm down, Dorothea approached the werewolf and reached to pet her ear. "Edie, it's Dorothea, I love you. Ferdinand and Hubert are here too, we all love you." 

A chorus of three affirmations of love rang out. Edelgard visibly relaxed, to the point where Dorothea undid the vines binding her wrists. Edelgard would never hurt someone she loved. Dorothea kicked off her shoes and slid into bed; she nestled her face into Edelgard's furry chest and felt a strong arm wrap around her. Keeping her girlfriend safe.

Ferdinand joined next, then Hubert. Unfortunately, no long hair was needed for cuddles, so Dorothea didn't get to see Hubert as a wannabe rockstar this year. Being wrapped in the arms of your werewolf girlfriend was more comforting than Dorothea could imagine. She drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. yes the opening was inspired/taken from a pm seymour video  
> 2\. I know Dorothea's story sounded sexual but it wasn't meant that way.  
> 3\. took the hair spell Ferdinand uses from the craft,  
> 4\. I couldn't resist writing vampire Ferdibert  
> 5\. watched the owl house before writing the magic scenes.  
> 6\. No, Ferdinand isn't doing drugs he's just a fairy and I used cliches while writing that.  
> 7\. Thank you for reading this fic, comments and kudos are really appreciated!
> 
> Come say hi to me!  
> Tumblr: Shortbread-otaku  
> Discord: Cookiegamer#9211


	2. Day 2: Sleeping arrangements.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorothea makes going to bed so much more difficult than it needs to be.

“Dorothea hold still.” Edelgard groaned. She’d never get her painting done if Dorothea kept fidgeting,

“How can I when you’re staring at me so intently?” Edelgard pinned her focus on the canvas in front of her, ignoring the boisterous laugh that Dorothea gave. “Oh Edie, you get flustered too easily.”

Bold strokes for maroon hair, curving into a softer shape for the face. Softened eyes that showed hope mingled with despair. A mouth curved up in simple joy. Bending into a curvy body with sharp strokes, highlighted by dark colours. Painting humans was something Edelgard loved, capturing their unique emotions precisely, making you think about what that person has gone through. It was thrilling. What Edelgard didn’t love was how antsy humans got after sitting in the same spot for half an hour. 

“Edie, Thea it’s time to wrap things up,” Ferdinand called from the top of the stairs.

“You’re not my mother Ferdinand,” Edelgard continued to paint, despite Ferdinand. “You can’t tell me when to go to bed.”

“Edelgard it’s midnight, and you have worked at seven am.”

Edelgard was so close to finishing her piece, she couldn’t stop now. Dorothea hopped off her stool and strolled over to see how the painting was coming along. 

“How’s it going?”

Edelgard attempted to hide her unfinished work from Dorothea’s prying eyes, she didn't want a mess of paint to be what Dorothea thought of her art. Dorothea was persistent, so she gave in.

“Oh, Edie, I’m beautiful!” Dorothea exclaimed. “You’re so talented.” she pressed a kiss to Edelgard’s cheek.

Edelgard waved the compliments away. “It’s only a few brush strokes.”

“Edie... “ 

Oh no. It was time for positive affirmations.

“After we tidy up.”

Edelgard cleans her palette off while Dorothea collapses the canvas. The first time Dorothea helped clean up art supplies, she had a small panic attack as she thought the canvas was broken. Fortunately, it wasn’t damaged as that would have cleared out Dorothea’s bank account. 

Ten minutes later Dorothea jumps into bed, much to the dismay of Hubert who was settled in.

“Thea, what are you doing?” Ferdinand asked.

“Getting into bed.”

“I can see that.”

“Dorothea,” Hubert gasped, "Get off me. You’re crushing my arm.”

“Hmm,” Dorothea tapped her chin as if in deep thought. “Nope!”

“Well if that’s how it’s going to be.” Edelgard climbed ontop of Dorothea, eliciting a surprised squeak from the taller woman.

“Edel, you are not helping!”

Ferdinand stood to the side and watched his partners laugh and threaten to kill one another. It brought joy in such a way that was hard to describe; like when someone fully understood you for the first time. 

A hand shot up and pulled Ferdinand into the pile on the bed.

“Did you think we’d let you stand in the corner all night?” Dorothea grinned.

“No,” Ferdinand answered sheepishly. “But I’d be happy to.”

“This is great, but I have work soon. Can we turn out the light?” 

“Yes, finally some sense,” Hubert complained.

Dorothea kissed Hubert which shut him up quite concisely.

Dorothea shifted off Hubert and slung her arms around Edelgard and Ferdinand. Hubert cuddled into Ferdinand’s side and with that everyone was finally settled. Now, for a night of warm and peaceful snuggles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really happy with how this turned out, everything feels a bit stilted. Still, I hope you enjoyed it.


	3. Day 3: Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day before Dorothea is meant to return from her six month tour, Ferdinand and Hubert receive a message telling them to go a restaurant for a party of three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear not all my fics will be about Ferdinand/Dorothea/Hubert in some shape or form, the ones that were just so happened to be in a row.
> 
> CW: Eating disorders.

Dorothea: ferdie, hubie, go to Restaurant at 7pm on wednesday

Ferdinand: What have you planned?

Dorothea: just smth romantic for u 2 ;)

Hubert: It's been two months. We have had enough romance.

Ferdinand raises an eyebrow in question, Hubert shrugs. Looks like they're involved in another on of Dorothea's schemes.

On Wednesday night Ferdinand and Hubert go to Restaurant, famous for its calzones. The red and white that decorates the place gives the place a warm vibe.

"Hello, we have a reservation under the name Arnault."

"Ah, yes. One of your party members arrived ten minutes ago."

"One of our-" Ferdinand looks towards their table and sees a woman with long brown hair waving at them. 

"Dorothea!" Ferdinand sweeps Dorothea up in a bone-crushing hug. "Your tour wasn't supposed to end until Friday."

Dorothea giggled. "We finished up early, so I decided to surprise you two." Dorothea gives Hubert a kiss and sits down.

"I knew something was afoot," Hubert said," I should have guessed."

The waiter came to take their order and quickly left.

"Is salad all you're having?" Ferdinand asked.

Dorothea nodded. "You don't have to worry about me," Dorothea gave Ferdinand's hand a squeeze. "I'm okay."

"That's what you said last time, too," Hubert noted.

Dorothea waved their concerns away. "I had a big lunch. For an Airport restaurant, they had delicious mac n cheese."

Ferdinand sighed. "okay." He feared Dorothea was slipping back into her old ways when there was little on her plate. Dorothea worked so hard to overcome anorexia. The constant worry was a rough patch in their relationship, Ferdinand kept saying hurtful things by mistake, or trying to force food into Dorothea. It was Hubert who had the ingenious idea to cover mirrors with a bedsheet to help with Dorothea's body dysmorphia. Ferdinand felt entirely useless, which made him desperate to 'fix' a problem that no one could battle but Dorothea. What Ferdinand ended up doing was learning how to support Dorothea and to model that imperfection is okay. Their relationship wasn't perfect and never would be, but learning how to support his wife in a way that actually helped, was a good start.

Dorothea's salad arrived next to Ferdinand and Hubert's pasta dishes.

"How was the tour?" Hubert inquired.

"Just amazing. Everything went according to plan, and the audience was so sweet." Dorothea put her fork down and turned to Ferdinand. "Though last night was nearly a disaster. Jessica was cheating on Alex with Simone."

Ferdinand gasped." No way!"

"Mhm. Alex was mashing the control board for the lighting all night. We had to go with it!"

"Wow."

Hubert laughed. "You're two gossiping hens."

Dorothea playfully hit Hubert with her napkin. "Like you didn't laugh when you heard Jacob threw hot sauce on Gabe for cheating on him."

That silenced Hubert. He flushed and focused on his food.

"So much scandal goes hand in hand with the opera," Ferdinand commented. "It's amazing you never took part."

"How could I when I have not one, but two loves of my life waiting for me at home." Both Hubert and Ferdinand reddened at that. "Though there was this gorgeous woman named Petra working in makeup. She was the best."

"I saw your ensembles, she is talented."

"Guess who she's dating,"

"Who?"

"Bernadetta!"

Ferdinand gasped, and Hubert squealed. Hubert _squealed._

Hubert seems to have realised what he has done as he covered his mouth and looked anywhere but Dorothea and Ferdinand.

"Hubert-"

"No."

"Hubert you squealed."

"I did no such thing!"

"It's okay Hubie," Dorothea smirked. "Your BFF has a girlfriend. That's pretty squeal-worthy."

Hubert chose to ignore the 'BFF' remark and say, "Bernadetta would have told me something like this." 

Dorothea shrugged. "Maybe you should read some of your texts."

Hubert whipped out his phone and read his recent messages with Bernadetta. Most of them was Hubert talking about Ferdinand or complaining about Dorothea being gone. Not a single question directed towards Bernadetta. She even tried to tell him once, but that was the day Hubert came home early from work and spent quality time with his husband. 

"Oh. I need to fix this." Hubert sent off a message saying he was sorry for being self-centred and asking about Bernadetta's relationship.

"That's unlike you Hubert," Ferdinand laughed. "Wonder who got you all distracted."

Hubert blushed again. Hubert was a surprisingly easy man to get flustered.

"Well, shall we get the bill?" Dorothea asked.

"Dorothea you came back early, let's get dessert!"

Dorothea batted the suggestion away as one would to a fly. "I'm okay, really."

"Dorothea, if you want dessert you can have it," Hubert assured.

"You're beautiful no matter what," Ferdinand said 

Dorothea fidgeted with her napkin. "I won't lie and say I was perfect, there were some days where the thought of eating terrified me. But I am doing better, I worked hard and am now reaping the rewards." Dorothea took out her phone and flicked through her gallery. "Bernie took a photo of me eating today, you'll know why when you see it." Dorothea put her phone flat down on the table. The picture in question is Dorothea with a cheesy moustache. "See? I wouldn't have dreamt of doing that three years ago."

Ferdinand couldn't tear his eyes away from the picture, Dorothea's grin went up to her eyes, he couldn't remember the last time she looked like that. Hubert came to the same conclusion as he said,

"You look radiant,"

"I know. Moustaches do suit me."

"I'm sorry to have doubted you," Ferdinand apologised.

"Don't be," Dorothea said. "You're allowed to worry, I'd be more offended if you didn't. But please don't forget, this is my battle, I need your support, not your help."

Ferdinand would do whatever he could to support Dorothea, no matter what it is she needed, he would be there for her.

Hubert grasped Dorothea's hands, "We will always be there for you."

"Thank you." Dorothea scooted closer to read Hubert's menu. "Now what did you two want for dessert?"

Neither Ferdinand nor Hubert could fight this battle for Dorothea, what they needed to do was help her win it herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, eating disorders are fun, loved having one. 
> 
> I hope no one was offended by this work and it didn't seem like I was brushing very serious disorders off, I tried to tackle the subject in a short amount of time and Dorothea's experiences are taken from my own, If there's anywhere you think I could approve please tell me,


	4. Day 4: Compersion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claude and Hilda come up with a scheme to get Dimitri and Marianne to bond.

The absolute best way to start the day was to play animal crossing with a boyfriend big enough to support your weight when you lean on him, at least in Claude’s opinion that was. Hilda disagreed and thought sleeping in was far better. To each their own.

Claude was more than happy to watch Dimitri shake trees and talked to animals. Dimitri’s favourite villager was a blue and white cat named Mitzi, who complained about the pile of unread books she had and gave you positive affirmations. Claude could get behind loving Mitzi, alright.

Hilda: we need to get dimi n mari to bond

Claude: yeah, what did you think?

Hilda: i’ve got a plan

Later on, Hilda explained that the carnival was in town and that it was high time for a date. When Claude questioned Hilda about Dimitri and Marianne’s hatred of crowds, she said as it was a Friday morning, there wouldn’t be many people. Claude checked that Marianne and Dimitri were okay with it, then got ready to go out.

The entrance to the amusement park was big and through an unnecessarily large car park. There was a vivid array of colours and flashing lights, which Claude feared would overwhelm Marianne and Dimitri, but fortunately, they were okay. 

The second the group walked in Hilda went straight for the machine selling cotton candy.

“Oh, getting cotton candy is a _must_ ” Hilda bought the most giant stick of cotton candy Claude has ever seen. Just looking at it was enough to make his hands shake.

“Oh, um, Hilda, do you think I could try some?” Marianne asked,

Hilda broke into a massive grin as she handed the stick to Marianne. Marianne’s eyes lit up as she tasted the sugar, like a doe. It was a close contender for one of the cutest things Claude has ever seen. 

Claude spotted a ‘hook a duck’ station and made a beeline for it. This was the one carnival attraction he could boast about. This was _his_ game.

“Pick whatever prizes you guys want, I’ll win them for you.

“Wow Claude, you’re pretty sure of yourself,” Hilda commented.

“Gotta be if I wanna win this game.”

“Claude, that is very kind of you,” Dimitri said.

“Don’t mention it.” Marianne seemed to be questioning what to say, given the way she kept opening and closing her mouth. “Marianne?”

“Are, are you sure?”Marianne was hesitant, as expected, she didn’t want any extra effort to be put in because of her. There was no way Marianne was leaving without a prize.

Claude paid the man behind the stall and picked up his trusty hook. Those ducks were going down. After carefully securing each duck on his hook within the time limit, Claude won prizes for each of his partners. A horse for Marianne, a pink cat for Hilda and a blue bear for Dimitri. 

“Thanks, Claude!” Hilda gave Claude a hug he was not prepared for and thus nearly fell over. 

“Claude, I think it’s time you got a prize.” Dimitri scanned the area, checking for a stall he could do. His eyes landed on a ring toss which looked relatively easy.

“We’ll see ya later, Mari spotted a merry-go-round!” Hilda bounced off with her girlfriend in tow.

Claude admired the way Dimitri’s muscles tensed as he threw the ring, how his eyebrows furrowed in concentration over this silly game. Claude could watch Dimitri for hours. Wait, no, that was the opposite of the plan. Ah, it’s okay, Dimitri and Marianne have all day to bond.

Dimitri lost the ring toss as he kept throwing them too hard.

“I couldn’t win a prize for you,” With his downcast eyes and cute pout, Dimitri looked like a kicked puppy.

“It’s okay,” Claude cupped Dimitri’s face, “those games are rigged anyway.” Claude kissed Dimitri just as Hilda and Marianne came back from the merry-go-round.

“Aw, Claude kisses, I want one too!” Claude gave Hilda a kiss, then asked Marianne if she wanted one; she did, and it was adorable.

Next, they went to a stall where you had to toss a ball into a hallmarked with the highest points. All four played the game, three of which were competing to see who could win Claude the biggest prize. The answer was surprisingly Marianne. Dimitri and Hilda threw the balls in quickly without considering the need for accuracy. In contrast, Marianne threw the balls carefully to get the highest points. Earning Claude a penguin with a bow tie. He named it Clarence.

Claude saw a sign on the way in that boasted they had the scariest roller coaster, yet he hadn’t seen it yet. Claude heard the fearful screams of children, looked up and saw the roller coaster. The reason it was out of sight was that it wasn’t wide, it was tall, _very tall._

“Hilda.” Hilda followed Claude’s gaze and let her mouth fly open.

“Claude no,”

“But you love roller coasters!”

“It’s sooo tall,”

“Please?” Claude flashed his baby eyes at Hilda, which he knew always worked.

“Fine. Marianne, Dimitri, If I die, know that I love you.”

“You might die?” Marianne looked genuinely concerned at those words.

“It’s just Hilda being melodramatic. She’s safe with the King of rollercoasters.”

Hilda snorted at the statement. “King of rollercoasters?”

“Don’t wear it out.”

Claude and Hilda joined the thankfully short line for the attraction.

The attendant pulled down the safety bar, then started the ride.

“Have fun,” Claude smirked.

“Oh I will,” Hilda grabbed Claude’s hand and squeezed it tight. Hilda was not afraid to break a few fingers in the name of proving that she was right.

The rollercoaster ascended to the top at a tantalising slow speed. Then it dropped down fast enough for it to feel like zero gravity. It bent around sharp corners, looped upside down, and when you had enough, it started the second loop.

In the end, Claude was glad he didn’t eat anything since he arrived if Hilda was any indication of it would have gone if he did.

“That was amazing,” It was absolutely terrifying, and Claude thinks he gripped Hilda’s hand harder than she did, but it was still incredible.

“Yep, it was a real wild ride,” Hilda said, struggling to keep down her snacks.

Claude was about to make a hilarious, not sexual at all joke until he saw something beautiful. 

“Hilda, look.” Claude pointed towards a stall where you knock bottles over to win a toy, Dimitri was there using his superhuman strength to win a prize for Marianne. 

“Aw, it’s so cute!” Hilda cooed.

Claude had an idea, but for it, he would need to put on his best narrating voice. “Here we see a wild Marianne outside of her natural habitat, Mariannes are not known for socialising outside of their group. What could happen next?”

Hilda crouched down next to Claude, “A wild Dimitri has been spotted near the Marianne, this has never happened before, what shall come next we cannot know.”

“Breaking news! The Marianne has kissed the Dimitri, I repeat the Marianne has kissed the Dimitri, this is groundbreaking news!”

Claude and Hilda laughed as they gave up the charade and skipped over to Marianne and Dimitri.

“Marianne, that is the cutest dolphin if I’ve ever seen one.” Claude gestured to the plush dolphin Marianne was holding in her arms.

“Oh, thank you. Um, Dimitri won this for me.”

“So you redeemed yourself from the ring toss?”

Dimitri nodded. “The cans were no match for me.”

“How about we get lunch and head on back?”

There was no vegetarian food at the carnival, and as Dimitri said: “Chips don’t count as a meal.” So the group went elsewhere for lunch. 

Overall it was a successful date; Marianne and Dimitri bonded, Claude didn’t get his fingers broken, and they had a good lunch. Claude honestly could not have expected it to have gone better.

It was the next morning, and Claude came down the stairs to see Marianne and Dimitri playing animal crossing together. It filled Claude’s heart with such joy and love, he seriously thought, no matter how corny it may sound, that his heart was about to explode with love for the two of them. Nothing made Claude happier than seeing the people he loved, love each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	5. Day5: Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's nearly time for Ingrid's wedding and her two partners have yet to meet her parents, for one reason; her parents wouldn't approve.

Ingrid admired her ring; it glistened in the sunlight extenuating the silver in it. The engagement ring was small and simple compared to the rings of Ingrid’s friends, but she was never one for gems and unnecessary embellishment. The carving that read _I+M+A_ was all the bells and whistles Ingrid needed to be happy.

“Ingrid, what is the address for your parent’s house?” Mercedes asked from the table where she and Annette were preparing wedding invitations.

“Why would you need that?”

“To invite them to our wedding, of course!” 

“You can’t do that,” Ingrid protested. “They’ll never approve. All my life, my parents have sent me a marriage request after marriage request. A wedding with people of no status would be unthinkable. Especially since they’re both women.” 

“Please sweetie, this is important to me.” it felt rude to say no when Mercedes’ asked for it so sweetly, but she doesn’t know what they’re like; They would tear her apart. 

“It’s our wedding!” Annette exclaimed. “Your parents should be there.”

“But they don’t approve of anything!” Ingrid turned her back to Mercedes and Annette; their desperate stares would make her crumble. “Least of all you guys,” Ingrid mumbled.

“My dad won’t be there nor with Mercies’ dad! Please?”

Ah. Annette is using the abandoned child card to get her way, again. Well, it won’t work this time. 

Ingrid could feel two pairs of eyes burning a hole in her head. It was a stupid idea, ridiculous even; there was no way they could leave unscathed. Right? “Alright. We can go this weekend.”

“Yay!”

Ingrid was weak.

The Galatea manor stared down at its visitors; daring them to make a move. Every bit of money in the family has squandered on the _appearance_ of looking wealthy; from the fountain in the centre of the lawn to the Garish stone lions that adorned the pillars facing the iron gate. The manor was four stories tall, with more windows than you could count on a mere glance. It was painted black with tacky gold stripes running through it. Ingrid shivered at the thought of going in.

Annette stared at the estate in awe. It was much bigger than any place she had been before Ingrid figured. 

“I’m serious; they are close-minded.” 

“Hmm,” Mercedes tilted her head. “Who were you five years ago?”

“Shush!” Ingrid crossed her arms. “That Ingrid is long dead.”

“I’m sure your parents will be fine,” Annette assured her. “They made you right?”

Ingrid decided not to mention how befriending Dedue was the catalyst to her change, her parents only served to hold her back,

Ingrid banged the old doorknocker that has adorned the manor for decades. She plastered on a smile as the door opened wide.

“Ingrid, is that you? Oh, how you’ve grown!” Miss Galatea swept her up in a hug, shocking Ingrid to the core. 

“These two must be your lovely fiances.” 

Annette stepped forward. “Hello, Miss Galatea. I’m Annette Dominic.”

“Oh, dearie, I already knew that.”

Ingrid froze. How did her mother know who Annette was? It’s not like their families ran in similar circles. What kind of scheme has she crafted?

“Miss Galatea, my name is Mercedes Martritz.” Mercedes handed over a basket of cookies she baked in preparation.

“Oh, how sweet, do come in.”

Who were these aliens that have replaced her parents? Ingrid felt like thanks were in order.

“Your mom seems so nice,” Annette whispered to Ingrid as they walked to the billiard room,

Mrs Galatea handed the basket of cookies to one of her many maids. They arrived in the billiard room where Ingrid’s father introduced himself. The very same man who held the philosophy that everyone should know who he is and should introduce themselves to him. What on Earth was going on? 

“Dinner will be shortly,”

Mercedes refused the wine being passed around, instead of asking for water. “Sweetie I say you don’t need to worry about anything. Your parents are so sweet.” 

“That’s what I’m concerned about.” Ingrid knocked back her glass of wine, to deal with her parents sober is like sitting through a presentation on PowerPoint. Tedious and pointless. Ingrid never drank alcohol unless it was a special occasion or one she needed help getting through, so one glass of wine had her feeling a bit sleepy.

Ingrid heard the ting of a bell, signifying that dinner was ready. Surprisingly, somebody informed the chef that both Mercedes and Annette were vegetarians. Her mother never remembered details about anyone besides herself. Could they have changed?

“So,” Mrs Galatea began, “how did you three get together?”

“We all frequent the cafe ‘Spice of Life’ in central Faerghus.” Ingrid began. “Mercedes, Annette and I are all friends with the owner, though we didn’t know that at the time. We met there one day and got to know each other.”

“The shabby little place by Katherine’s?”

“Mother, it’s a five-star place,” Ingrid said through gritted teeth.

“Okay, dear.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t opt for something more high end.” Mr Galatea said. “Considering your father is the chief of police.” He looked at Annette.

Annette dropped her fork in surprise. How could her parents know more about Annette’s father than Annette herself, but not know her father abandoned her? Silence passed as Annette remained flabbergasted. Ingrid decided to speak up, “Annette doesn’t receive any funding from her father.”

Mr Galatea laughed with his mouth wide open; the kind ignorance gives you. “That sounds like him, alright.”

“But what about your parents?” Mrs Galatea asked Mercedes. “Surely, they would supply you with the funds to go elsewhere.”

Her parents still seemed to be a bit racist and obsessed with status, but with remarked approvement. The question remains, how do her parents know so much about Mercedes’ and Annette’s parents? Yet seem to know nothing at all.

Mercedes shook her head. “My father doesn’t exactly… accept my life choices.”

Ingrid saw her parents visibly grow tense. Could they know more than they let on?

For dessert, the waiter presented peach sorbet to them. Mercedes’ eyes glistened, and Annette was practically drooling. It was always their favourite dessert. When the waiter set all the plates, Ingrid noticed something unsettling.

“Mother, why does Mercedes have a significantly smaller portion than the rest of us?”

“Well dear, you know,” Mrs Galatea gestured to Mercedes’ body.

Ingrid knew what had to happen. “That’s enough!” she pushed her chair back with a screech. “Mother, father, may I speak to you privately?” 

Ingrid mourned the peach sorbet that she lost, the cold, creamy texture, the citrus smell and sweet taste. She never cared for sweets before she met Mercedes and Annette, but after tasting endless batches of Mercedes’ cookies, cakes and pies. She was converted.

“Dear, what is this about?”

“You are incredibly rude towards my fiances.” Ingrid put her hands on her hips. “First, you appear to have changed and accepted who I am. Then, you throw passive-aggressive comments at my partners all night long! And how do you know so much about them?”

“Young lady, it is not your place to lose your temper like that.” Mr Galatea berated her.

Ingrid could say a lot about her father losing his temper but chose to keep her mouth shut.  
“Well, it wouldn’t bode well to insult the daughters’ of the families of the Martritz and Dominics. So I would have no reason to be ‘passive-aggressive’ as you say I am.” Mrs Galatea stated.

“Everyone knows about the Maritiz’s and the Dominics; I don’t see what the fuss is about.” 

It clicked In Ingrid’s brain. The reason for her parent’s sudden change of attitude was because of money. It was as clear as day, how did Ingrid not see it? Their family were losing more money than they could afford, soon they would lose all social status. That was why they were now okay with Ingrid being a cop, with having two women for partners. Money meant more to Ingrid’s parents than their only child did.

“I can’t believe you-no scratch that, I absolutely can.” As full understanding took place, Ingrid reached a new record for how angry she could be. “You don’t love me; you love money.”

“Watch your tone! Think about what’s best for this family.

“We are willing to disregard our wishes for a wealthy man if it means political ties.”

Mercedes and Annette didn’t have any money after they cut ties with their families. A small part of Ingrid wished she hadn’t figured out her parent’s scheme so when she got married, she could see the look on their faces when they realised there was nothing for them to gain.

“Unbelievable. I thought you had changed.”

Ingrid stormed into the dining hall where Annette and Mercedes’ sat stock still. “Mercedes, Annette, we’re leaving.”

Without asking questions, the two stood up and moved towards the exit. It’s not surprising they heard the argument, it was behind one closed door, and when Ingrid got angry, she was _loud_

Ingrid grabbed her coat, and before the door shut close, she yelled out over her shoulder. “Mercedes and Annette cut ties with their families, so there would be no money anyway!”

It took an hour for Ingrid to stop pacing their house in a fury. She calmed down when Mercedes handed her, her famous hot chocolate; marshmallows and whipped cream included.

Mercedes rubbed circles in Ingrid’s back. “I’m so sorry for making you deal with your parents.” 

“Yeah, me too!” Annette said. “I just couldn’t believe someone would disown their parents by choice.”

“It’s okay,” Ingrid sighed. “They’re awful people. Always have been.” Ingrid turned to Mercedes. “I hope you didn’t listen to what they said. You’re perfect, no matter what body shape you are.”

Mercedes giggled. “I know. As are you and Annie.”

“And I’m really sorry, Annie, they could have been your chance to learn more about your father.”

“It’s okay; I’m doing great without him.” Annette smiled. “If I want to find him, I can appear on one of those shows that reunite families.”

Ingrid’s shoulders shook with laughter. Between working at charities, abandonment issues and stress over the wedding, how Annette managed to remain optimistic all the time, Ingrid would never know. 

“Can we watch something? I seriously need to forget today happened.”

“Oh, how about the Animal Crossing movie?” Annette beamed.

“Sounds fun.” Ingrid cuddled into Mercedes’ side as Annette prepared the movie.

“Sweetie, we’re your family now. Don’t forget it.” Mercedes kissed Ingrid’s cheek.

“And we’re never gonna leave you!” Annette said as she hugged Ingrid’s arm.

“I’ll be by your sides forever, too” Ingrid kissed both their cheeks.

She felt her heart well up to the size of a balloon. Ingrid had a family that accepted her, cherished her and would never betray her. Ingrid couldn’t wait for their wedding.


	6. Day 6: Pets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every time Caspar, Linhardt or Ashe come across a stray cat they can't just abandon the poor soul, they take it home and give it care. They were quickly outnumbered by cats.

Linhardt, Caspar and Ashe all love cats, so they adopted one from the local rescue centre. A brown tabby named Chester who loves catnip. A month later, Caspar was walking home from the gym, and this cat started following him. It mimicked everything Caspar did. From jumping to twirling. It was adorable. As white calico's go, it was very energetic. Caspar patted him and left him be. Two days later at his next gym visit, the same cat appeared and followed Caspar home. Ashe took it to the vet the next day and found out it was a stray, so they kept it.

Ever since if a stray was seen, it was taken home. 

Ashe found a box of kittens, Caspar frequented the rescue centre, and Linhardt brought ham with him whenever he looked for a napping spot; specifically for cats.

Now the triad has 12 cats. Jacob, biscuit, Chester, Beans, Minerva, Camila, oreo, mac, cheese, mimic and tahini 

It's safe to say the triad are drowning in cats.

"Hey Caspar, can you get the groceries for me?" Ashe asked.

"Coming!" Caspar pulled Chester and Oreo off his chest, and Mac and Cheese immediately replaced them. "Two seconds!" Caspar plucked Camila off of his leg and stood up to be assaulted with claws "Ow!!" Beans dug her nails into Caspar's legs.

Linhardt discarded his switch and picked two cats off of Caspar. Which, for Linhardt was a lot of effort. 

"It's alright." Ashe laughed. "You've been compromised."

"You think we're spoiling them too much?"

"What? Spoiling? Never." Linhardt said sarcastically from the kitchen.

Caspar picked up Beans and winced at the pain in his leg. "What am I going to do with you." Every urge to reprimand this cat withered away as Caspar was met with big sad eyes. "Just don't do it again."

Linhardt came back from the kitchen with a plaster for Caspar. "If you wore pants, this wouldn't have happened." Linhardt disinfected the cut and applied the bandage. "It's winter. Why do you wear shorts?"

Caspar winced. "Yeah yeah, I know." It was an argument they often had, yet the shorts stayed on.

"I think Lin is scared of you getting hypothermia. As am I." Ashe said.

"What did I say?" 

Caspar laughed heartily. "I know you love me, Lin, don't worry."

Caspar settled back down, and a mountain of cats quickly formed on him.

Ashe eyed the front door like he was expecting someone to come in."Um, guys. There's something I haven't told you."

"What is it?"

Ashe left the house and came back with a black bundle in his arms. "I-I couldn't help myself! She- I think it's a she- was on a busy road and is incredibly skinny. Plus it was raining. " A moments pause. "Are you guys mad?"

"Ashe," Linhardt started. "This is why I love you." 

"Heck yeah! A new teammate!"

Ashe sat down with the surprisingly timid cat. "What should we name her?'

"How about coal? Since Ashe found her and y'know."

"Caspar. No."

Caspar looked to Ashe to back him up; he shook his head.

"How about dew?" Ashe suggested.

"Like mountain dew?"

"No." Ashe laughed." Like leaves in the morning."

"That is so nice" Linhardt smiled.

"Hah. Never would've come up with that fancy name." Caspar gave Dew pets. "We're so lucky to have Ashe; otherwise you would have been named coal."

With every new member added to the family, the cats grew more assertive and more demanding of attention. Caspar would have to invest in some cat-proof pants unless he wanted to become a scratching post.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write and not meant to be taken seriously at all. It really was fun to write cats overpowering Caspar XD
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading it, comments/kudos are appreciated.


	7. Day 7: Rings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne lost her wedding ring and is terrified Lysithea will be furious with her. Hilda agrees to help Marianne search for the lost ring.

Marianne dragged her body into the house. It was a long day, one where Marianne was kept on her feet all day. Her bones would file a complaint tomorrow.” Oof” Marianne flopped down onto her couch. All Marianne wanted was to watch her favourite show and cuddle with her wives, 

“Mari!” Hilda came pounding down the stairs and crashed into her wife.

“H-Hilda” Marianne flushed as her wife cuddled into her side.

“Mari it’s been soooo boring today. With you and Lysithea gone I had to, ugh, work.”

“Was work bad today?”

“No, just boring.” Hilda frowned. “I don’t want to talk about it. How was your day?”

“Good. I helped a lot of people down at the rescue centre. There was this one dog- oh no!”

“What is it?”

“The wedding ring Lysithea gave me is gone.” Marianne checked the couch for the ring, but nothing was there. “I can’t believe I lost something so precious to me. I am such a failure. How stupid do you have to be-”

Hilda grasped Marianne’s hands to steady her. “Mari, you are amazing. Everybody loses things.” she kissed Marianne’s forehead.

“Where did you last have it?”

“I-I don’t know” Marianne cried. “I’m sorry, I always cause more trouble than I’m worth.”

“It’s okay; it’s okay.” Hilda stroked Marianne’s hair; it never failed to calm the taller girl down. “Where did you go today?”

Marianne took a deep breath and listed everywhere she went. “The rescue centre, the grocery store, the food bank and the post office.”

“Okay,” Hilda stared at Marianne, her eyes steeled in determination. “We have two hours until Lysithea gets home. Let’s go.”

The rescue centre was nearby, so Hilda and Marianne dashed towards it. They arrived as Ferdinand was locking the place up for the night.

“Oh Marianne, did you forget something?”

“Yes. My wedding ring.”

“I’m afraid I can only give you five minutes. Is that okay?”

Marianne nodded and went inside to check. They went past the receptionist’s desk and into where the dogs are kept. A chorus of whines and growls sang out as Marianne turned on the lights.

“Hello, my babies. I’m so sorry to disturb you this late, but I lost my ring.” A whimper came from the beagle section next to Marianne. “I know. I can’t believe it either. I have to go look now, stay safe.” Marianne tore her eyes away from the dogs and found Hilda staring at her with wide eyes. “Did I, did I do something strange?”

“Not at all. Mari, you are the sweetest.” Hilda smiled, it showed off her hidden dimples, the ones only Marianne and Lysithea got to see.

Marianne checked the grooming station, then the bathroom next. After they searched every room, there was no sign of Marianne’s wedding ring.

Marianne and Hilda left the building and thanked Ferdinand for waiting. 

“Oh no,” before Marianne could berate herself more Hilda took her hand and ran to their next destination.

“Is this the right grocery store?” Marianne nodded.

Hilda took the left aisles while Marianne scoured the right. What aisles did Marianne go to again? Tinned foods aisle, baking aisle, pet aisle? But what else? Marianne racked her brain yet couldn’t remember.

Hilda asked a member of staff if they had seen a wedding ring; unfortunately, they had not.

“Don’t lose hope,” Hilda squeezed Marianne’s hand, “we could still find it.”

It was getting harder and harder to believe that the ring could show up.

The food bank was still open, so no criminal activities were required to enter the building. Marianne waved to Raphael, who started his shift. The counter was clear, so was the kitchen area, and when asked, nobody had seen a ring.

With one place left to go, the chances of finding the ring were slim. How could Marianne have lost the ring? One of the most precious things she has ever owned. How did Hilda and Lsyithea put up with her? 

Hilda stopped outside the post office. “Mari, incase we don’t find your ring here either, I want you to know I love you. And I know Lysithea loves you too. Don’t beat yourself up over this, ‘kay?” Hilda hugged her anxious wife.

The queue was long in the post office; they would be here a while. It was a small space, small enough that Marianne could check for her ring while in line. She came here earlier today to post revenue forms for the rescue centre. Why Marianne was trusted with a massive job like that, she didn’t know. They were probably all messed up, and the rescue centre would close down, it would all be Marianne’s fault. Hilda, like she was sensing Marianne’s thoughts, squeezed her hand. 

“You’re amazing.” Marianne finally arrived at the front of the line and asked about her ring. 

“Sorry, no rings were found today.” 

Mariane froze. That was it. Lysithea would be furious; they would divorce Marianne. Never see her again. It was all Marianne’s fault. Marianne briefly registered Hilda dragging her out of the post office and towards the direction of their home. Marianne was too tired to walk home. She wanted to cry on the streets until there was nothing left, but a husk of who she was. 

“Mari, do you,” Hilda hesitated, “do you want me to carry you?” 

The offer was so tempting. All Marianne wanted was to be held and cherished, to be safe. Marianne knew she didn’t deserve any of that, yet her desire never waned. “It’s okay...” Within a moment, Marianne was swooped off the ground and wrapped in the loving arms of her wife. “Oh... Hilda.” 

“Wow Mari, you are so incredibly light. You’re like a bird.” 

Marianne was too shocked to speak. She feared she would be too heavy for anyone to pick up, ever. Marianne allowed herself to relish in the warmth and strength of the woman who claimed to be a ‘delicate flower.’ Maybe Marianne could convince Hilda to carry her everywhere. Hilda put her wife down when they reached their house. Marianne felt okay. Like she wouldn’t combust. Then Lysithea walked through the door, and it all came crashing down. Tears well up in her eyes once again. 

“Work was such a pain today.” Lysithea gave Hilda a peck on the cheek. “We had the most annoying client ever.” Lysithea stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the state Marianne was in. “What happened?”

Marianne stared at Hilda, begging her not to tell Lysithea the truth.

“Uh, Mari watched a nature documentary.” 

“Are you kidding me? Hilda! You’re meant to keep her away from those things.” Lysithea rushed to Marianne’s side to give her head pats.

To make her performance more believable, Marianne said, “Climate change is coming for us all!” She sniffed. “Not even David Attenbourg can save us.”

“All we can do is our part,” Lysithea said her voice low and soothing.“And you’re doing enough for five people! Yet alone one. Okay?”

Marianne nodded. Sensing tears, their cat Bojangles jumped onto Marianne’s lap and curled up. Marianne gave her a pet and saw something glittery on her collar. 

“Huh?” Marianne inspected the sparkle and found her ring!

“Why is your ring on our cat?” Lysithea asked.

“Uh, um. Dress up?”

“You lost the ring, didn’t you?”

Marianne nodded solemnly, fearing the worst. Yelling, a slap, she deserved it.

What she didn’t expect was Lysithea to kiss her cheek and wipe her tears. “It’s okay. I’m not mad, and I wouldn’t be if you never found it.” Is this real? Could everything be okay?

“How long have you been crying for?”

Marianne shook her head.

“Five minutes,” Hilda answered. “We looked everywhere for the ring and couldn’t find it.”

Lysithea sighed. “I would never hurt you, okay? So please don’t be scared to tell me things.”

Marianne gave a shaky nod. Lysithea gave her a hug to which Hilda joined in.

“We love you Mari and would never hurt you. You are amazing.”

Wrapped in the love of her spouses, Marianne started to believe that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing for polyweek it was so much fun and a great way to stretch my creative skills. I hope you enjoyed everything I wrote and read other amazing poly fics too. Thank you for reading, comments and kudos are appreciated.


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